The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Why do the big square balers put 2 knots in every string? I buy hundreds of tons of large squares a year and I always wonder. The small squares we used to make only had 1 knot.

Tying the knot

I know a lot of farmers are glad to see #Harvest19 come to an end. It sure has been a trying year for most. Our planting and harvest windows seem to shorten every year, and we need to be prepared

hayandforage.com

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Where do all the young men go? Off to cities? I am one of those young men who left a small town and never managed to get back, although I would in a minute, but my Bride grew up here, so here is where we stay.
I was actually born in Jax, but my teenage years were going to school in a town with 3500 people and living in the next town over, population 172.
David from jax

Callahan or Yulee?

 

[LouNY]

Tying the knot

I know a lot of farmers are glad to see #Harvest19 come to an end. It sure has been a trying year for most. Our planting and harvest windows seem to shorten every year, and we need to be prepared

hayandforage.com

Not much compares to working on a damned knotter in 90 degree weather in the sun sweating and chaff covered and trying to hurry as a storm is coming.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not much compares to working on a damned knotter in 90 degree weather in the sun sweating and chaff covered and trying to hurry as a storm is coming.

No doubt.
I’ll park the baler in the shade if it’s hot.
Worst I ever had was when I jammed the baler with a fungo bat sized branch. had to climb down into the chamber with a sawzall and cut all the jammed up hay before I got to the limb.
Took nearly 6 hours, and of course, it was 90* and humid.

 

[EddieWalker]

Seems like a lot of hay fields are under power lines. That makes sense when I think about it. Those areas need to be kept clear of trees and making hay there is the perfect way to keep those areas clear.

 

[mrmikey]

Seems like a lot of hay fields are under power lines.

I would imagine tho they're a pain to mow around.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

The crazy one to me is haying on the side of the interstate. When I have been traveling I have noticed, in South Dakota specifically, that the shoulders of the interstate and the median are bailed instead of mowed.

 

[LHF2019]

Seems like a lot of hay fields are under power lines. That makes sense when I think about it. Those areas need to be kept clear of trees and making hay there is the perfect way to keep those areas clear.

The field already existed then power lines came through. Farming has been happening long before electricity.
There might be a rare instance of them clearing land to put lines through creating a field but I would bet if you went back in historical images you would find it was already cleared.

NETRonline: Historic Aerials

Historic Aerial Photos and Maps

www.historicaerials.com

Some of my power lines in fields.

 

[Rustyiron]

No, it would be great to make hay there, but the HOA won’t agree to it. Beautiful, thick wide-bladed grass…
It’s one of those frustrating situations where I have asked like 3 times, but they won’t budge.

I wonder if a soil sample (or a annual series) would help your argument for a hay cutting next season. I know the cut grass is feeding the soil but is there a point where it's heading out of balance and maybe favoring conditions for an undesirable becoming dominant.
(or something along that line of BS!)

 

[Hay Dude]

I would imagine tho they're a pain to mow around.

No problem at all. Been mowing around/under power lines forever.
Here’s (3) places I do all the time with power lines.